Pinvin - short and sweet.... 15 miles or so in and settled into a chasing group, hit a greasy spot on a fast ish LH bend and down we goes.
Scrapes to body and bike. My bony shoulder survived but has a massive contusion that is restricting movement a bit - but it is not broken.
Road rash on hip needs a huge wound pad to cover it!
2 weeks to next race - we shall how the pain subsides.
The fun part is that I have 5 spin classes to lead, starting to morrow night!
Yippee.. show me the money!
Have had to mull over why my accident happened when the front wheel washed out.
I had gone from the start and built up a gap and was bridged to by a team buddy. That gap lasted 7 or 8 miles but eventually chased down by someone who was racing out of category. In my opnion if you race out of category - especially if you are younger! you do not initiate chase downs or drive the bunch back.
When the bunch passed a group of 6 went through.
When I came down I was doing my damndest to get back to this group again. Probably fully anaerobic, my judgement for a dodgy corner was lax and my speed was excessive.
I admit my fault at the end of the day - but - still not happy!
Sunday, 23 March 2014
Monday, 17 March 2014
Trend
The trend line for 5 and 20 minute power after the winter training season is very similar to the end of 2013 season.
This is a positive result for all the hard work over winter. Hard work in the sense of motivation to stick to the training regime.
This is a positive result for all the hard work over winter. Hard work in the sense of motivation to stick to the training regime.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Dealing with injury
Accidents whilst training or racing are not inevitable but are nevertheless an ever present risk.
How do the professionals cope? With mixed results could be the answer.
Johnny Hoogerland - ribs and spine 2013
Cancellara - collarbone 2012
Schleck, Andy - pelvis 2012
Those are the headlines but away from the newspapers there is a lot of bruising and a lot of damage that nobody talks about which is obvious when you really think about how an unprotected body hitting a hard and unforgiving surface at speed.
Never understimate an injury. Depending on the severity of the accident you may have to wait weeks before you can get back on a bike.
Hoogerland had to wait a month, Cancellara a week and Schleck's post accident tribulations are well documented.
Getting on the bike with pain is a recipe for overcompensating and developing muscle imbalances or tendonitis. The drive to get back on the bike is hard wired in a cyclist. The thought of a full winter's training all for nothing can be a blight.
So if fitness evaporates, all is not lost.
As a general rule of thumb, one week off the bike requires 3 weeks consistent training to regain. Top end peak power is the victim. Those short punchy climbs turning legs into blocks of concrete. Holding on in the bunch for 100km is not the issue, it is those 2 minutes of surges that can happen in a blink of an eye that opens up the holes in fitness.
However, too much too soon equals overreaching and that can lead to chronic fatigue.
Hoogerland and Cancellara have got through their accident trauma to notch up subsequent wins. For Schleck, his rehab has been fraught but still with a place on a Pro Tour team he can still be confident that an athlete's ability to regain pre accident form is more the norm than not.
How do the professionals cope? With mixed results could be the answer.
Johnny Hoogerland - ribs and spine 2013
Cancellara - collarbone 2012
Schleck, Andy - pelvis 2012
Those are the headlines but away from the newspapers there is a lot of bruising and a lot of damage that nobody talks about which is obvious when you really think about how an unprotected body hitting a hard and unforgiving surface at speed.
Never understimate an injury. Depending on the severity of the accident you may have to wait weeks before you can get back on a bike.
Hoogerland had to wait a month, Cancellara a week and Schleck's post accident tribulations are well documented.
Getting on the bike with pain is a recipe for overcompensating and developing muscle imbalances or tendonitis. The drive to get back on the bike is hard wired in a cyclist. The thought of a full winter's training all for nothing can be a blight.
So if fitness evaporates, all is not lost.
As a general rule of thumb, one week off the bike requires 3 weeks consistent training to regain. Top end peak power is the victim. Those short punchy climbs turning legs into blocks of concrete. Holding on in the bunch for 100km is not the issue, it is those 2 minutes of surges that can happen in a blink of an eye that opens up the holes in fitness.
However, too much too soon equals overreaching and that can lead to chronic fatigue.
Hoogerland and Cancellara have got through their accident trauma to notch up subsequent wins. For Schleck, his rehab has been fraught but still with a place on a Pro Tour team he can still be confident that an athlete's ability to regain pre accident form is more the norm than not.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Winter Training Block
This is the first serious winter training block. Sufferfest training videos are hard at any time but a concerted effort to do 11 workouts on a daily basis is not an easy option.
It will boost CTL but will leave a large negative TSB - so end result , you will be fitter but knackered.
It will boost CTL but will leave a large negative TSB - so end result , you will be fitter but knackered.
Monday, 20 January 2014
Easier week
The training target for the month of January is a 10 point increase in TSS.
At the moment just having an easier few days before the Tour of Sufferlandria.
Above is the predicted CTL (blue line) for January.
At the moment just having an easier few days before the Tour of Sufferlandria.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Reason to be careful
The simple fact is winter riding is risky.
Sometimes too much so when it can impact a training plan.
The best advice I can give is just be so much more viigilant.
Black ice was the culprit. I thought it was a flat back tyre until I hit the tarmac hard. Nearly a week later and it is only just starting to heal and I consider my self with getting away with it as I could have chipped the bone very easily.
An injury like that would really have put all that training into the skip.
Luckily I have been able to maintain a training load.
Sometimes too much so when it can impact a training plan.
Black ice was the culprit. I thought it was a flat back tyre until I hit the tarmac hard. Nearly a week later and it is only just starting to heal and I consider my self with getting away with it as I could have chipped the bone very easily.
An injury like that would really have put all that training into the skip.
Luckily I have been able to maintain a training load.
Saturday, 4 January 2014
How I Turbo
Picking the correct profile to turbo train to is actually quite hard.
No one wants to spend precious training time with wasted efforts.
This profile ticks all the boxes as far as I am concerned and I will talk you through the session as best as I can.
The session is split into 5 blocks of 'work' divided by 'rest' or 'recovery' periods.
The first interval is the warm up phase. This is critical to get right as it will decide if you will carry on successfully to the end.
Ensure the bike is in the small ring and a very easy gear to start with. Concentrate on easy pedalling but with a cadence over 90.
There are 5 steps with the final one at threshold level. Try to do this with the small ring. I use a standard 39. You may struggle if you have a compact 34 ot end up with the chain very crossed although that is not really going to harm the bike. After turbo training season is over you will be replacing the chain anyways as it willl have stretched with all the use you have given it making it unsuitable for road riding! Hopefully you have loosened up the legs muscles and prepared them
Phase 2 and you should be thinking of still keeping to the inner ring.
The opportunity here is to think about using a higher cadence 0f 100, 110+ if possible. Gear selection will dictate this range. A steady start but the extra efforts will be reflected in heart rate response.
Use those recoveries wisely i.e. shift up the block to your easist gear and just unload the legs whilst keeping the cadence up.
Phase 3 will take above threshold. Not for long but by the finish your heart rate response will be very noticeable. If not then you may have that threshold line in the wrong place.
As soon as it is finished ... unload , unload. I can't emphasise that enough. Racing is about recovering as much as actual balls out work.
Phase 4 is a 10 minute stint with 5 minutes of classic underovers to finish with. These will also find chinks in your armoury.
Phase 5 is also a classic of pyramid. The final thrash is as hard you want it.
Your heart rate should be going to its limit as close to max out as it will ever do in indoor training without the added surge of andrenaline.
Close down with some minutes of spinning out to recover.
No one wants to spend precious training time with wasted efforts.
This profile ticks all the boxes as far as I am concerned and I will talk you through the session as best as I can.
The first interval is the warm up phase. This is critical to get right as it will decide if you will carry on successfully to the end.
Ensure the bike is in the small ring and a very easy gear to start with. Concentrate on easy pedalling but with a cadence over 90.
There are 5 steps with the final one at threshold level. Try to do this with the small ring. I use a standard 39. You may struggle if you have a compact 34 ot end up with the chain very crossed although that is not really going to harm the bike. After turbo training season is over you will be replacing the chain anyways as it willl have stretched with all the use you have given it making it unsuitable for road riding! Hopefully you have loosened up the legs muscles and prepared them
Phase 2 and you should be thinking of still keeping to the inner ring.
The opportunity here is to think about using a higher cadence 0f 100, 110+ if possible. Gear selection will dictate this range. A steady start but the extra efforts will be reflected in heart rate response.
Use those recoveries wisely i.e. shift up the block to your easist gear and just unload the legs whilst keeping the cadence up.
Phase 3 will take above threshold. Not for long but by the finish your heart rate response will be very noticeable. If not then you may have that threshold line in the wrong place.
As soon as it is finished ... unload , unload. I can't emphasise that enough. Racing is about recovering as much as actual balls out work.
Phase 4 is a 10 minute stint with 5 minutes of classic underovers to finish with. These will also find chinks in your armoury.
Phase 5 is also a classic of pyramid. The final thrash is as hard you want it.
Your heart rate should be going to its limit as close to max out as it will ever do in indoor training without the added surge of andrenaline.
Close down with some minutes of spinning out to recover.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
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